Iraq
Syria: test ground for anti-Shia jihad?
An “Anti-Shia Alliance” convention in Jakarta brought togehter interntional Sunni militants to declare “jihad” on “heretics”—as sectarian attacks mount in Syria and Iraq.
Kurdish-Berber solidarity
Kawa Botani, a Kurdish activist from Duhok, Iraq, joined Amazigh (Berber) protests in Morocco in January, demanding cultural and civil rights. United by a common struggle against both political Islam and "Arabization," the Berbers of Algeria, Morocco and Libya are increasingly… Read moreKurdish-Berber solidarity
Europe
Will Ukraine ‘go nuclear’? Looking scarier…
As Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk warns of "World War III," Moscow and Kiev mass troops on their shared border, and the US sends more forces to the Baltics.
South Asia
Mt. Everest disaster and global climate shift
Sherpas who guide tourists up Mount Everest go on strike following the deadly avalanche—as destabilization of the Himalayan glaciers portends more such disasters.
Watching the Shadows
Net neutrality and the extinction of journalism
The end of "net neutrality," now broached by the FCC, portends an "enclosure" of the Internet—and the marginalization of all perspectives not officially approved.
Central America
Central America: ‘narco-deforestation’?
Central America's rainforests are being destroyed by drug traffickers who cut roads and airstirps on officially protected lands, according to a paper in the journal Science.
Inner Asia
US plays Mongolia card against China
Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel signed a "joint vision" statement with Mongolia calling for expanded military cooperation—clearly aimed at further encirclement of China.
East Asia
Wildcat strikes surge in China —again
Some 10,000 workers at plants that produce sportswear for Nike and Adidas have walked off the job in Dongguan after finding the Taiwanese company was shorting them.
Africa
Nigeria: Boko Haram taunts president —and US
In a video message, Boko Haram commander Abubakar Shekau claims a deadly Abuja bomb attack, and taunts President Goodluck Jonathan—as well as Barack Obama.
East Asia
China and Japan can’t stop fighting World War II
China impounds a Japanese vessel over an unpaid wartime debt, as Japan builds a military base near the disputed Senkaku Islands. This World War II nostalgia is getting too real.
Southern Cone
Rio de Janeiro: military operation against favelas
Brazilian Military Police backed by Marine troops occupied the massive Maré favela next to Rio de Janeiro's airport in a major clean-up operation ahead of the World Cup.
Palestine
Israeli forces fire tear gas at Christian pilgrims
Dozens of Christian pilgrims suffered from tear-gas inhalation on Good Friday after Israeli troops fired gas canisters as they performed religious rites at the Tomb of Lazarus.